Before you travel it is best to check the most up-to-date travel advice around COVID-19 restrictions which can be found on the Government website

If you are travelling to Europe we now offer Enhanced Covid-19 Protect Cover add-on to policies purchased directly from us and not through a price comparison website, giving greater protection against a wider range of COVID-19 related issues. You can easily add this to your policy, when choosing your policy type, prior to purchase. Alternatively, if you already have a policy with us and require the benefits of the add-on please call our customer service team who can assist you in adding it to an existing policy.

The key benefit is the add on will cover you if you choose to travel against FCDO (Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office) advice in relation to COVID-19, as long as the advice is against “all but essential travel” solely as a result of COVID-19.

You should contact your Travel Agent, Tour Operator, airline or accommodation or credit card provider for a refund in the first instance.

Booked through a Travel Agent or Tour Operator

If you booked with a Travel Agent or Tour Operator, you should contact them first to see if you can make any changes to your trip, or if they are able to offer you a refund.

You can make a claim under the Package Travel Regulations if any travel intermediary booked two or more parts of your holiday together and they are then unable to deliver the full package.

You should not pay any additional payments to your Tour Operator or Travel Agent without confirmation that any additional payment is fully refundable should the trip be cancelled for any reason by the operator (for example the balance of the holiday cost where you have only paid a deposit so far).

Booked flights only or accommodation only 

If you booked your travel independently, you should still approach the travel provider (airline, accommodation provider etc) in the first instance to rebook or for a refund.

If you have alternative dates to travel after contacting your Travel Agent or Tour Operator, airline and/or accommodation provider, please contact our team who will update your policy. Please note, any change to your policy may result in a change of premium.

Depending on which of our travel insurance packages you choose, from expensive to our cheap single trip insurance, we will be able to cover up to £5,000 in the event of a cancellation.

This compensation can be used to cover deposits or package holiday cancellation charges, travel costs and accommodation hire, car hire, activities and excursions, reasonable cancellation fees from pet sitting services and car parking fees.

Sometimes, cancelling a trip is completely unavoidable. At Start Travel we understand completely if something happens which makes the trip impossible.

You can claim on your travel insurance if one of these situations occurs: 

• The death, Bodily Injury or Illness, as certified by a Medical Practitioner, of You, Your Relative, Colleague or travelling companion or of a friend with whom You had arranged to stay; or
• Your attendance at a court of law as a witness (except as an expert witness) or for Jury Service where postponement of the Jury Service has been denied by the Clerk of the Courts Office; or
• You or Your travelling companion being a member of the Armed Forces, Police, Ambulance, Fire or Nursing Service and Your or their authorised leave being cancelled due to an unexpected emergency or a posting overseas at the time of Your trip; or
• You or Your travelling companion being instructed to stay at Home (within 7 days of Your departure date) by a relevant authority due to severe damage to Your or their Home or place of business in the United Kingdom caused by serious fire, explosion, storm, flood, subsidence or burglary; or
• Your involuntary redundancy or that of Your travelling companion or Your spouse, civil partner or cohabiting partner, notified after the purchase of this Policy or after the trip was booked, whichever is later.

It’s important to make sure you have travel insurance any time you go abroad. Around 48% of holidaymakers are unaware that without travel insurance they will have to pay for their medical care abroad.

It’s a misconception that your in-date EHIC or a Global Health Insurance Card will act as travel insurance. However, if you need medical attention, chances are only a portion of the costs will be taken care of. Additionally, EHIC and Global Health Insurance Cards will not cover larger expenses such as mountain rescue in ski resorts, flights back to the UK or lost or stolen property, whereas travel insurance will.